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    Calculating The Weight of Lumber

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    Mustafa Vatansever
    The document provides instructions for calculating the weight of lumber loads based on species, moisture content, and dimensions. It includes 5 steps: 1) determine moisture content, 2) calculate a correction factor based on thickness, width, and length, 3) determine the basic weight from moisture content and species tables, 4) apply the correction factor to get the weight per 1000 board feet, and 5) convert to a different moisture content using provided formulas. Several examples are provided to demonstrate the calculations.

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    Calculating The Weight of Lumber

    Uploaded by

    Mustafa Vatansever
    70 views3 pages
    The document provides instructions for calculating the weight of lumber loads based on species, moisture content, and dimensions. It includes 5 steps: 1) determine moisture content, 2) calculate a correction factor based on thickness, width, and length, 3) determine the basic weight from moisture content and species tables, 4) apply the correction factor to get the weight per 1000 board feet, and 5) convert to a different moisture content using provided formulas. Several examples are provided to demonstrate the calculations.

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    The document provides instructions for calculating the weight of lumber loads based on species, moisture content, and dimensions. It includes 5 steps: 1) determine moisture content, 2) calculate a correction factor based on thickness, width, and length, 3) determine the basic weight from moisture content and species tables, 4) apply the correction factor to get the weight per 1000 board feet, and 5) convert to a different moisture content using provided formulas. Several examples are provided to demonstrate the calculations.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    70 views3 pages

    Calculating The Weight of Lumber

    Uploaded by

    Mustafa Vatansever
    The document provides instructions for calculating the weight of lumber loads based on species, moisture content, and dimensions. It includes 5 steps: 1) determine moisture content, 2) calculate a correction factor based on thickness, width, and length, 3) determine the basic weight from moisture content and species tables, 4) apply the correction factor to get the weight per 1000 board feet, and 5) convert to a different moisture content using provided formulas. Several examples are provided to demonstrate the calculations.

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    You are on page 1of 3

    No.

    69 November, 1993
    Calculating The Weight Of Lumber
    Gene Wengert

    The average weight of 1000 board feet (BF) of lumber can be calculated for a particular species, by following the
    procedures below. Be aware though, there is considerable variation from load to load of the same species.

    STEP 1: Determine the moisture content (MC) at which the lumber was scaled (that is, at which the board foot volume
    was measured). In the weight calculation equations, this value is called MCs. Remember that moisture content is
    calculated with the following equation:

    MCs = [(wet weight ÷ oven dry weight) – 1] x 100 (1)

    STEP 2: Determine the correction factor (CF) that must be applied to the scaled volume to determine the actual volume of
    wood. Use the following formula:

    CF = (actual thickness in inches ÷ nominal thickness in inches)


    x (actual width in inches ÷ nominal width in inches)
    x (actual length in feet ÷ nominal length in feet) (2)

    CF Example 1:
    A load of green (freshly sawn) hardwood lumber is 1- 1 /8 inches thick, but is counted as 1 inch thick when scaled for
    board footage. The lumber is in random widths, for which the actual and scaled widths are equal. All lumber is 98 inches
    long (or 8.17 feet), and is scaled as 8 foot. So,

    CF = (1.125 ÷ 1) x (actual width ÷ scaled width) x (8.17 ÷ 8)


    = 1.125 x 1 x 1.021
    = 1.149

    CF Example 2:
    The same scenario as in Example 1, except the lumber is 2-5/32 inches thick (scaled as 2 inches thick) and exactly 14
    feet in length. The lumber is again in random widths. So,

    CF = (2.156 ÷ 2) x (actual width ÷ scaled width) x (14 ÷ 14)


    = 1.078 x 1 x1
    = 1.078

    CF Example 3:
    Planed softwood lumber is scaled as two-by-sixes, although the actual thickness is 1.5 inches and the actual width is 5.5
    inches. The two-by-sixes are exactly 12 feet long. Therefore,

    CF = (1.5 ÷ 2) x (5.5 ÷ 6) x (12 ÷ 12)


    = 0.75 x 0.917 x 1
    = 0.688
    University of Wisconsin, United States Department of Agriculture, and Wisconsin counties cooperating. UW-Extension provides equal
    opportunities and programming, including Title IX requirements.
    STEP 3: Determine the basic weight for MC, of the desired species (BWMCs), using Table 1 and one of the following
    formulas:

    BWMCs = C + [B x (MCs - 30)], if MCs is above 30%; or

    BWMCs = C - [A x (30 - MCs )], if MCs is equal to or below 30%. (3)

    STEP 4: Apply the board foot correction factor, CF, from equation 2, to arrive at the weight, in pounds, per 1000 BF of
    lumber, corrected for scaling errors and moisture content:

    Corrected weight at MCs = BWMCs x CF (4)

    STEP 5: If the weight of the same lumber at a different moisture content (MCx ) is desired, use the following formula:

    At MCx, weight (pounds) = Weight at MCs x (100 + MCx ÷ (100 + MCs) (5)

    Weight Calculation Examples

    Example 1: What is the weight of 1000 BF of 75% MC, 4/4 northern red oak (scaled thickness = 1 inch), 1-1/8 inches
    thick and 12 feet long?

    Answer: MCs = 75%


    CF = (1.125 ÷ 1) x 1 x 1 = 1.125
    BW75% = 3793 + [29.1 x (75-30)] = 5103 pounds
    Corrected weight = 5103 x 1.125 = 5741 pounds

    Example 2: The lumber in Example 1 is subsequently dried to 6% MC. What is the new weight?

    Answer: Weight at MC6% = 5740 x (100 + 6) ÷ (100 + 75) = 3477 pounds

    Note: This lumber has shrunk about 6% in going from 75% MC to 6% MC, so it is no longer 1000 BF at 6% MC, but
    about 940 BF. Yet, because it was 1000BF when measured green, we base the calculations on the green size and
    weight. If it were rescaled at 6% MC, the calculations would be redone.

    Example 3: What is the weight of 1000BF of northern red oak that was cut to 1-5/8 inches (1.625") when green, but,
    when scaled as 6/4 lumber (1-1/2 inches thick) at 6% MC, had actually shrunk to 1-9/16 inches thick (1.5625")?

    Answer: MCs = 6%
    CF = (1.5625 ÷ 1.5) x 1 x 1 = 1.042
    BW6% = 3793 – [13.6 x (30-6)] = 3467 pounds
    Corrected weight = 3467 x 1.042 = 3613 pounds

    Example 4: What is the weight of 1000 BF of loblolly pine 2" x 10" x 16' lumber (actual size: 1.5" x 9.25" x 16') at
    15% MC? The footage is measured at 15% MC.

    Answer: MCs = 15%


    CF = (1.5 ÷ 2) x (9.25÷ 10) x (16 ÷ 16) = 0.694
    BW15% = 3183 – [12.9 x (30-15)] = 2990 pounds
    Corrected weight = 2990 x 0.6938 = 2074 pounds

    Calculating The Weight Of Lumber, page 2


    Table 1. Factors for calculating the weight of wood at different moisture contents. Substitute these numbers for the
    variables in equation 3.
    Common Lumber Name A B C Common Lumber Name A B C
    Hardwoods Hardwoods (cont.)
    Alder, Red 9.9 19.2 2506 Persimmon 7.0 33.3 4332
    Apple 10.9 31.7 4132 Sweetgum 8.9 23.9 3115
    Ash, Black 9.3 23.4 4132 Sycamore 10.7 23.9 3115
    Green 14.3 27.6 3590 Tanoak 9.0 30.2 3926
    Aspen, Bigtooth 10.3 18.7 2439 Tupelo, Black 10.4 23.9 3116
    Quaking 10.3 18.2 2373 Water 12.4 23.9 3115
    Basswood 6.2 16.6 2174 Walnut 13.4 26.5 3454
    Beech, American 8.9 29.1 3793 Willow, Black 8.6 18.7 2438
    Birch, Paper 8.8 25.0 3260 Yellow Poplar 10.6 20.8 2708
    Sweet 11.9 31.2 4065
    Yellow 9.2 28.6 3723
    Buckeye 8.9 17.2 2235
    Butternut 11.3 18.7 2440
    Cherry 13.8 24.4 3184 Common Lumber Name A B C
    Chestnut, American 11.6 20.8 2708
    Cottonwood 8.5 16.1 2102
    Dogwood 6.8 33.3 4331 Softwoods
    Elm, American 10.2 23.9 3116
    Rock 12.2 29.6 3860
    Slippery 11.5 25.0 3251 Baldcypress 13.2 21.9 2844
    Hackberry 11.8 25.5 3319 Cedar, Alaska 14.4 21.9 2844
    Hickory, Bitternut (Pecan) 14.7 31.2 4062 Atlantic white 10.9 16.1 2100
    Hickory (True) Eastern red- 16.4 22.9 2981
    Mockernut 9.1 33.3 4332 Incense 13.1 18.2 2371
    Pignut 9.3 34.3 4332 Northern white 11.1 15.1 1964
    Shagbark 10.9 33.3 4333 Port-Orford 12.6 20.2 2641
    Shellbark 6.6 32.2 4195 Western red- 12.2 16.1 2100
    Holly, American 8.3 26.0 3387 Douglas-fir, Coast type 12.3 23.4 3049
    Hophornbeam, Eastern 7.9 32.8 4266 Interior west 13.2 23.9 3116
    Laurel, California 15.1 26.5 3456 Interior north 14.0 23.4 3048
    Locust, Black 21.2 34.3 4470 Fir, Balsam 9.9 17.2 2236
    Madrone, Pacific 7.8 30.2 3925 California red 10.6 18.7 2437
    Maple (Soft) Grand 10.7 18.2 2371
    Bigleaf 12.8 22.9 2980 Noble 10.1 19.2 2507
    Red 13.1 25.5 3318 Pacific silver 10.4 20.8 2711
    Silver 12.4 22.9 2981 Subalpine 10.5 16.1 2101
    Maple (Hard) White 12.2 19.2 2506
    Black 12.3 27.0 3523 Hemlock, Eastern 12.6 19.8 2573
    Sugar 12.3 29.1 3793 Western 11.5 21.8 2847
    Oak (Red) Larch, Western 11.3 25.0 3251
    Black 11.7 29.1 3792 Pine, Eastern white 12.3 17.7 2303
    California black 16.4 26.5 3455 Lodgepole 11.5 19.8 2576
    Laurel 6.3 29.1 3791 Ponderosa 12.6 19.8 2573
    Northern red 13.6 29.1 3793 Red 12.2 21.3 2777
    Pin 13.0 30.2 3928 Southern yellow group
    Scarlet 13.2 31.2 4065 Loblolly 12.9 24.4 3183
    Southern red 9.6 27.0 3520 Longleaf 15.0 28.1 3658
    Water 10.4 29.1 3793 Shortleaf 12.9 24.4 3183
    Willow 6.4 29.1 3790 Sugar 12.6 17.7 2302
    Oak (White) Western white 10.0 18.2 2370
    Bur 15.4 30.2 3928 Redwood, Old growth 14.9 19.8 2573
    Chestnut 10.1 29.6 3858 Second growth 13.2 17.7 2302
    Live 17.5 41.6 5417 Spruce, Black 11.3 19.8 2575
    Overcup 10.7 29.6 3860 Engelmann 10.0 17.2 2234
    Post 11.0 31.2 4063 Red 10.6 19.2 2506
    Swamp chestnut 10.7 31.2 4063 Sitka 10.8 19.2 2505
    White 10.8 31.2 4062 Tamarack 12.0 25.5 3318

    Calculating The Weight Of Lumber, page 3

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